Category Archives: venus

Here is a link to a youtube video I recently made. I was at the post office and realized I had lost my wallet right when I was going to pay. I went all the way back home and it still wasnt in my room where I normally keep it. I looked everywhere and could not find it. It was getting stressful and I was starting to worry so I casted a chart to find the wallet.

This is the Horary/Prashna chart that I cast to see where my wallet is, and if I even will be able to find it.

One more thing I forgot to mention in the video : Mars and Ketu being with Venus, Ketu hides things very well, and this wallet just happened to be blending in with the dark metal frame of the bottom of the drivers side seat, a big part of why I didnt see it when I originally checked my car. Mars rules metals, and so the significator being connected to Mars and Ketu indicates that it was wedged in between dark colored metal and well hidden. And that was the case. I didnt realize this until after the fact, but thought that was a neat additional note.

I am often asked what planets get one involved in being an Astrologer themselves. It is an understandable question since most people studying astrology would naturally want to see if it that is indicated in their own horoscopes. When I was reading, for the longest time there was a gap in my understanding when it came to this question. Most of the books available state that Mercury is important for being an astrologer and that you have to have a good Mercury to do astrology and to convey what is shown in the chart to the individual. But there must be more to it than that, since a good Mercury can also make one many other things, like a lawyer, a bookkeeper, or an artisan for example. What else is involved?

First, I want to define an Astrologer not as one who necessarily makes a living off of it, or is super amazing at it, or famous, or whatever, but as one who has devoted a great portion/majority of their life and time to the study and practice of Astrology. A person could be a nurse by trade and in the sense of what pays the bills, but in another sense, they are an Astrologer if they are constantly contemplating astrology all day at the hospital while working, and get home and study and practice it at night. This should be clear first.

And that is the thing with Astrology, it is a very thoughtful craft. So while I do agree that Mercury is very helpful and important for a person to be able to convey the chart to an individual, there is more involved than that. Mercury represents skills and our aptitude overall. In this manner, a great Mercury can really make one great at most things. So naturally that can carry over to studying Jyotish, and Mercury loves to study. But there must be some desire to study the heavens, to contemplate, to find symbolic meaning in life, to be philosophical and so forth. Mercury alone is not really the planet that is going to always do that. Mercury is a vaishya, the Merchant mentality (There are 4 castes or mentalities in human nature according to Vedic philosophy, each one offering unique skills and abilities). To really be a counselor, an advisor, a guide that has the best interest of the individual at heart, one must have other factors going on to indicate that. Mercury alone is a businessman and sometimes even a trickster, it just depends. I don’t know about you, but I don’t wanna be tricked when I go to get advice.

So the main planets you really need to see involved in a person’s makeup are the philosophical and contemplative planets, the Brahmin mentality. Those planets are Venus and Jupiter. They are the Brahmins of the zodiac, which means most devoted to knowledge and spirituality, to learning, educating, etc. These planets suggest a desire for refinement in life as well. Ketu is also involved in making one an Astrologer. So when it comes down to it, having these three planets involved heavily in your chart, and connecting to the self-factors such as Atmakaraka, lagnesh, swamsha, and pada, you often find these people to be involved in Astrology at some point in their life. (Look for these planets in the svamsa or 10th from it, see my previous posts for more info on the svamsa).

Brihaspati (Jupiter) Guru to the Devas.

Then you often find Mercury connecting to these planets in some way, via conjunction or rasi aspect, or ruling them, especially if they are going to make a business out of it. Mercury rules business as well as curiousity, so they may just talk about it a lot if the business isnt indicated by other factors in the chart. This you will really find happening a lot! Jupiter, Venus, or Ketu in the lagna, or 10th, or with the Lagna lord is very, very common.

Now you have the ingredients as far as planets go. But to be more precise, we need to see the 8th house connected to Ketu to make one an Astrologer, at least if they are going to spend a large portion of life involved in it. One example I can think of is the Lord of Ketu being in the 8th, another is Ketu simply being in the 8th, another is with the 8th Lord and Ketu rasi aspecting each other, and still one more example I can think of has the 8th lord conjunct ketu.

If all these factors come together you will often see an Astrologer or someone who is involved somehow in dealing with the Soul’s journey and its many lives. There is more to determining any career than this but now you have the basic ingredients to find if one is going to be an Astrologer from the birth chart.

Oh and one more thing, a predictive Astrologer is often shown more by Venus. A psychological astrologer or more of a spiritual advisor type of astrologer can be shown by Jupiter. Venus is the Guru to the Asuras, the worldly forces of materialization and the senses. Naturally, Venusians take after this quality and tend to give great guidance to people for worldly matters. Jupiter is the Guru to the Devas, the heavenly forces of consciousness, ideas, and inner life. Therefore, Jupiterian Astrologers will perhaps not be as inclined to predict but will give great spiritual counsel about where you are and the type of person you are, your dharma. The best Astrologers tend to have both planets involved so they can do both of course. But this is worth noting as there are so many types of astrologers and there are many uses for this craft. So go to a venusian astrologer if you need help with getting a new car. Go to a jupiterian astrologer to learn a great mantra to meditate upon. Or hopefully, with the grace of God, you will find one who can do both

Venus is the planet that represents our style and fashion. It is the brightest light in the night sky, and can even be seen at daytime if one knows where to look. This is why it rules things that brightly appeal to us like beauty, luxury, fashion, art, and color.

The clothes that we wear can say a lot about our personality. Perhaps this is why some of the ancient texts on Vedic Astrology discuss and attribute different types of clothing to different planets. This is really interesting because a lot of it I have still found applicable to the way people dress in modern times.

We know that Venus rules clothing and fashion. I would even also say our sense of style as well. Within that context of the Venusian domain of clothing, there are many categories of clothes. Some people like to wear brand new clothes, others like old or used clothes from a goodwill store. Some like colorful stuff, others not so much. Why is that? Astrology gives insights into all kinds of detailed little things, which is what makes it so amazing, in my opinion. Here is a list of some of the connections I have found to hold true, that I have learned from the ancient writings of India.

Sun: Jataka Parijata 2.22, gives “Thick/Coarse” clothes for the Sun. Some solar people (such as Leo lagna/ascendants, those with the Sun exalted, or as the Atmakaraka, or a Leo Swamsha) may like heavier and coarser clothing that is durable and can handle some consistent use. The Sun is the most consistent planet and it likes fabrics and items that are strong and reliable. It needs garments that can be worn day in and day out. The Sun is the King after all, and has a job to do. Life is stressful enough as it is without our pants ripping. One other thing about the Sun and its sign Leo, is Gold. Solar people often love to have some Gold or bright yellow worn in some fashion or another and I have found this to be very true with people I know. Or some type of element to their fashion and dress will have a royal or dignified quality to it, we could say. Also, Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS for short) gives “red linens” for the Sun. Red is also a powerful color, and Solar people may wear more red for this reason as well.

Moon: The Moon is associated with white linens in BPHS, and that just makes sense in every way as the Moon is so bright and white in the night sky. This is true in practice, people who have strong moons will look very good in white. They often have a whiter complexion then the rest of their family as well. But what I notice to be even more true, is what Jataka Parijata states about the Moon ruling over “pleasingly new garments”. The Moon seems to love brand new clothes! I find that people in my life who have a strong Moon will be more of the type of person to just want to buy a new pack of white t-shirts; even though they have plenty already that they could wear. They will buy new shoes more frequently than most. This is logical because the Moon travels the fastest, and returns to its natal place every month. So every month the Moon is “new”, and maybe that has to do with its association with new things.

Mars: Jataka Parijata states that Mars rules “singed” or burned clothes. BPHS states that Mars is “of torn form” and we know he is a very active planet. He has the most velocity of any planet in our solar system. Probably due to this, Mars-like people will often have lots of tears and rips in their clothing (especially if Mars rules the 2nd house). They are just going, going, going, and don’t have time to stop and stitch up every little rip in their clothes. I see this quite often. Mars is also said to wear red garments in BPHS and this is logical, because Mars is the red planet. He can also give a reddish hue to the skin, or eyes, or whatever part of the body he aspects or is residing in by sign and house. Mars people usually have a style that is a bit rugged and may have some metal, or chains in their attire. Perhaps they have a tattoo if Rahu also influences their body. Mars rules scorpio, a feminine sign, and the more lusty aspects of sexuality. It is interesting too, because of this, that there is this sort of portrayal in pop culture about a “woman in red” who usually seems overly powerful and sexual. Hollywood movies tend to use that look a lot to portray the super seductive woman character. (Not saying this is a great portrayal at all, just noting the correlation to archetypes of consciousness)

Mercury: Mercury is associated with dark linens and clothes that are washed, but not new. It is similar to the Moon, but not quite. Mercury is the son of the Moon, after all. Mercurial people can be a little more nit picky about washing things, and are not as likely to wear something if it is a little dirty but still wearable. They are the types who might wash a towel just because it fell on the floor for a second, when their other roommate would just use it anyway. Mercury people also are very good about how well clothes fit them, and rarely get caught wearing clothes that are just a bit too big or small, or anything like that. He is said to be “most perfectly formed”, and because of this, he is more of the type of person to have a nice clean and well put together look overall, whatever that look may be. Everything will be in right proportions and in their right place. Mercurial people can look good in blue, and dark colors, as well.

Jupiter: Jupiter is said to dress in yellow linens. Yellow is a color of nobility, and of the pure conscious aspect of Spirit. The Sun, the most perfect symbol of the absolute God that can be found in this creation, is the color yellow, as seen from human eyes. Ayurvedic color theory goes on to say that even seeing the color yellow is very good for us and directs our energy up into the higher chakras more easily. This fits nicely with Jupiter’s M.O. (short for modus operandi, one’s way of going about things, one’s method of working) of being the guide or guru to direct people back to their higher nature. Yellow is also the color of the rasi Leo, the sign of the Lion. Jupiter is “delighted” when in this sign, and does well here. Its also common with people who have Jupiter in the 1st house (the house of the head and hair) to have a little bit of yellow/blonde color in their hair, which goes along nicely with this yellow association. Jataka Parijata states that Jupiter wears “intermediate” garments, meaning average, and not brand new or overly worn out. Jupiter people tend to dress somewhat averagely for their culture, and don’t tend to make a show of their dress. But they will be the types that look good with a normal shirt and khakis type of look. Also, the color orange is related to Sagittarius, which is ruled by Jupiter. So there may be a connection here as well with respect to members of the Swami order wearing dark orange robes. The Swami order is very much a Jupiterian type of organization, being dedicated to dharma. The dark orange makes it more subdued and more average…. not standing out so much, which seems to fit this description as well.

Venus: Venus rules clothing and fashion overall, and so has the most freedom to explore and experiment. Venusian types tend to have more clothes than most people, as an example. They wont just have one pair of shoes, or two, but will have a closet full. Venus loves color and matching and all of that, and takes time for this sort of thing. A Mars type of person just doesnt have time for this sort of thing, which is why he is still wearing those ripped up jeans that look like he has been sliding into first base at a baseball field for hours on end….he should have thrown them away years ago. Venus rules the best quality in all things, and is no different with clothing. These people will pay extra for higher quality fabrics. Venus is said to wear “durable” clothing, again, implying that Venus seeks the higher quality in all things, and doesn’t care for a pair of clothes that wont last more than a few occasions. Venus loves color, but also loves being natural, so unless Venus is afflicted by Rahu, the person will like natural dyes over synthetic, and will like natural types of colors over the more synthetic, bright, or neon types of colors. Truly strong Venus women will not overdo it on makeup, as an example. All well made clothing is suitable for Venus to wear, really. Venus rules Taurus, which is considered to be the color white. Venus is mythologically described as wearing white. Venus also rules Libra, which is thought by many to be the color green. Because of this, Venusian types may also have an affinity for green and white colored clothing.

Saturn: Saturn is said to wear “conspicuous” garments, meaning clothes that stand out and are clearly noticeable and attract attention. Saturn is very much a loner and an outcaste of society. Saturn deals with making the person become a true individual, and as such, tends to make one dress in a way that makes them stand out more as an individual as well. Overly dark, gothic looks are usually symptomatic of an oppressive Saturn influence of some sort. Saturn wears black and black is a very noticeable color. It denotes authority as well, and Saturn (as well as his Father, the Sun) stands for authority. Note how Judges wear black in courtrooms. Courts are ruled by Libra, and what planet is exalted there? Saturn. Wearing all black is like a symbolic gesture that nobody is above the authority of this judge of the courtroom/libra realm. With all this having been said, I also notice people with a strong Saturn may also be inclined to wear super normal clothes, which is not really in line with the “conspicuous” thing, I admit. A strong Saturn person may have a lot of humility, and tends to be more indifferent to their own self, and this may have to do with some Saturnian types just wearing say a black shirt and blue jeans, day in and day out for almost the entirety of their life. Blue jeans are an incredibly Saturnian type of clothing, as the book Light on Life, by Robert Svoboda and Hart deFouw, has already noted. So we could say that with Saturn’s influence dominating your style of dress, you would either dress very conspicuously, or very mundanely, being quite indifferent to your clothing. Another possibility is just wearing clothes that are somewhat outdated to the time, which sort of make one standout as well. (Ex: The grunge music movement and flannel)

Rahu: Rahu is said to wear “conspicuously patched garments”. Rahu is just like Saturn but its garments are more patched together, maybe with different colors, or like how you see people putting patches of musicians and bands they like all over there clothes, which makes them standout more in society, which is Rahu’s goal after all…to be a person on the fringe of society, a pioneer, an outcaste, someone who is not completely fitting into the box of their culture or place and time. Rahu is the most synthetic or unnatural planet and in this case, if its influencing our sense of style by maybe being with our Venus, or in the 1st or 7th, then we will be more likely to want to use lots of makeup, all kinds of crazy chemically based beauty products, or just be more excessive with whatever look we are trying to pull off. Also I would put tattoos under Rahu, as they are basically a “conspicuous patch” that we put on our body in a permanent fashion. You will also notice people get quite addicted to tattoos and never seem to be content with the ones that they already have. It is always “Next month I am gonna get this whole part of my arm done like this”. It is much less likely to hear “I am so happy with the tattoos I got ten years ago, I have no desire for more.”. Rahu shows where we will be excessive usually, so that fits as well.

Ketu: Ketu is said to wear clothes that are “torn and joined”. This means any type of clothing that is torn or ripped but has been sewed back together and made useful again. This is so cool because Ketu rules our past life karmas more than any other planet. So its basically saying Ketu likes the clothes he has already created karmas with from the past, and just wants to fix those and keep them going, rather than seek new clothes. Seeking new clothes is like looking to the future and Ketu is not about the future, but the past. You will notice Ketu people tend to be much more focused on the past than most people. Ketu in our chart is that place where we felt most secure in past lives, and so we seek that security naturally in this life as well, but not always is it so rewarding or quite the same as we thought it would be. Ketu often shows where we need to let go of and not be so attached to, and so its funny that its influence also tends to have a quality of not even wanting to let go of the old clothes we have worn, but wants to sew them back together and keep using them! Also because Ketu acts like Mars, and Mars rules tears and rips, this makes sense from that angle as well.

Conclusion: Is it not very fascinating how the nine grahas have their influence on even something as minute as our fashion sense? If you have any correlations that you have noticed about the planets and their manner of dress, please feel free to comment below.

Possibly the last surviving statue of Caesar that was created during his lifetime.

We all know that the Ides of March was the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar, but it seems to have been conveniently forgotten that this is an astrological statement. We also know that in Shakespeare’s famous “Julius Caesar” play, there is the warning to Caesar from the Astrologer/Reader figure to “Beware the Ides of March”. The “ides” meant the middle of the month, and so this date was taken to mean March 15th or around that time since this was determined by the Moon. This prediction did come true and Caesar was betrayed by his friends and ministers and was assassinated on this day. So why did this particular time frame get singled out? Is there any Astro-logic behind it?

Its actually a very simple logic behind this statement. First off, we do not even have to know Caesar’s birth data to know that a great leader of a great nation such as Rome will obviously be ruled by the Sun. This is the most likely case. So let’s imagine Caesar to have been a Leo lagna (rising sign), and with also the Sun as his atmakaraka, which would likely be the case for someone who ruled the greatest nation at the time. (Of course he may not have had this, but likely had something similar or would not have had the merit to have the life he had.)

If he was indeed a Leo, then during the time of the Ides of March, the Sun would be passing through Pisces, which is the eighth house for a Leo ascendant. The eighth house is the house of death, sudden breaks and changes to one’s life, battles, betrayals, and drama to put it bluntly. Right away we see that this is not the luckiest time for a King. Also when the Sun is in pisces, it is weaker by nature because Pisces is a sign of rest and relaxation, but not a sign of great physical strength or power. He also was 55 when he was killed, which is the natural dasa period of the Sun, so the transits of the Sun would have more bearing on him at this time in his life than other times as well. But these three factors happen often for Sun ruled people, and not so often do they die or get betrayed, so there must be something more to it, but this is a good start.

Now we may recall that the Sun has two enemies, Saturn and Venus. Saturn could have been anywhere at that time, so we will leave Saturn out of the equation. But we do know that Venus would have had to have been either in Aquarius, Pisces, or Aries, as Venus cannot be any further from the Sun astronomically. So focusing on Venus, if Venus was in Pisces, then that would mean that the Sun was being badly “starved” (thrishita, in sanskrit) if it was conjunct its enemy Venus. This is a big problem for the Sun and prevents it from being able to do its job properly (Caesar, in this example). This is even more of a threat because Venus is exalted in Pisces, and so at its strongest possible state! So this Venus is strongly able to starve and afflict the Sun, and the Sun doesn’t have the power to overcome it on his own when in Pisces. Now consider the fact that Venus happens to rule Ministers, and advisors to the King! How did Caesar get betrayed? His advisors, his ministers, his “Venus” in the symbolic sense, conspired against him and had him assassinated! This fits perfectly with the most likely transits to be occurring on the Ides of March. Get an exalted Venus starving the Sun in the eighth house of betrayal and death, this spells bad news for the Sun, which in this case was Julius Caesar.

This may have also had a relation to the Drekkana chart, the third divisional chart in Jyotish. It is called the “Decanates” in Western Astrology, so we know that the Western tradition did have vargas at some point, and likely lost them over time. Perhaps this reader who warned Caesar also used the Decanates or Drekkana chart. If so, they would have likely noticed that the Sun will move from the Cancer drekkana to the Scorpio drekkana around the time of the Ides of March. The Sun would definitely be in the drekkana of Scorpio by the time the Ides of March came, as the Sun would have to be in the last 10 degrees of Pisces at this time. It is a very basic fundamental of Astrology that Scorpio, the eighth sign, has the same qualities as the eighth house we have been discussing, and so Scorpio deals with all of the above themes of death, betrayal, sudden breaks and changes as well. So the Sun’s placement in the Drekkana chart on the Ides of March is also showing the same theme of some type of fall from a height or drama occurring for Caesar at this time.

Oh and what does the Drekkana chart specifically deal with? It is the specific chart we look at to see how one interacts with their siblings, their peers, their ministers, their associates, and the people that they work with who have similar goals. In the context of Caesar, the Drekkana would show the karma’s relating to his Ministers and Advisors, and others who are working towards the similar goal of governing Rome. So this chart is very relevant to the death of Caesar, as it is showing Scorpio/betrayal/death themes very clearly, and it was his associates that betrayed him and murdered him. As many as 60 conspirators were said to have been involved with his death, so he had quite a lot of Drekkana associates to contend with!

This example is made with just the understanding of where two factors were placed in Caesar’s horoscope, the Sun and Venus. Imagine how much more we could see if we had his whole chart? We normally need to see things indicated from a number of different angles, all pointing to the same event, for that event to be able to be predicted confidently. Likely there were even more themes indicating a similar fate for Caesar, but this is what we know was most likely occurring for the Sun and Venus. Mars and Saturn were likely also involved in my opinion. It definitely was not just a simple Sun transit that could have caused this. It is my hope that the reader takes away from this example a more nuanced understanding of the sophistication of astrological predictions along with a newfound appreciation for this idiom.

Why do things so often get grouped up into seven in this world? Have you ever noticed that? Not to say that the number actually occurs more than other numbers, but in the sense of the way we tend to see, group, and categorize things. When we think about our common use and grouping of things, seven seems to have a significance, dare I say, even something sacred about it. It happens with really big things too, like the seven continents of the world, the seven seas, seven openings or cavities in the human face, seven colors in the rainbow or visible spectrum of light that we can see, and almost all mammals have seven cervical vertebrae. These are things we cannot seem to change very much, but what is equally interesting is that there are also many things that we as human beings have intentionally perceived or classified as being seven in type or quality, when we could probably have divided them into other numbers if we wanted to.

Let me give some examples:

There are seven notes on the musical diatonic scale, but other ways of dividing the notes up have also been created. But this is a very popular one, probably the most popular.

We have this idea in folklore of many different cultures (including American/European and Indian) of seven years of bad luck coming to someone for various reasons.

There are said to be seven deadly sins.

There are seven wonders of the ancient world.

There are said to be seven heavens in Islam and many, many other philosophies as well as occult systems of knowledge.

Seven horizontal rows are in the periodic table.

According to the Baltimore classification, there are seven types of viruses.

Seven is the neutral ph value between acidity and alkalinity.

The Bible is overflowing with a sacramental implication of the number seven, the most commonly known being the beginning part wherein the Earth was created in seven days (it also clearly mentions the creation of the “heavenly bodies” for “Signs and seasons”, aka Astrology, by the way).

There are seven temples in the Book of Revelations (Which Edgar Cayce also revealed to each relate to a certain chakra and the sins most associated with that chakra/state of consciousness.)

Seven is the sum of any two opposite sides of dice.

In India there is the Sapta Rishis, or the Seven Sages.

There are also the Seven Sages of Greece.

There are seven main chakras in Yogic philosophy, also seven according to psychic Edgar Cayce.

We have seven days of the week, which is so ancient that we actually do not know where this originated. The Norse had a seven day week which is where our English names of Friday (Freya/Venus day) and Thursday (Thors/Jupiters day), and Wednesday (Odin/Mercury day). The ancient Indians also had a seven day week, which makes one wonder if any other cultures of antiquity also had this tradition.

There are probably many more classifications of seven in number that I am not recalling, but I feel this has made a strong enough case as these are big parts of our human life. Also you will notice that fiction writers love to use the number seven in their fiction works, simply google the number seven and you will see one after another fantasy book that has something to do with “Seven gemstones of power” or what have you. A modern example of this can be seen in the hugely popular Game of Thrones HBO series, which is based on fiction books. It takes place in a medieval Europe (Kali Yuga-style) fantasy realm and their is of course an emphasis put on the “Seven Kingdoms of Westeros”, which is where the majority of the story takes place. There are also many different faiths throughout the kingdoms but the most popular faith is the “Faith of the Seven”, interestingly enough. Obviously this is influenced from the actual medieval European times when the seven planets were worshipped as deities. It is also made very clear that “The Seven” is one deity, that manifests itself into seven aspects. This is identical with European and Indian style Astrology. { NOTE: Many people still think that Hinduism is polytheistic (believing in many Gods) but if they actually researched it they would learn quickly that it is monotheistic. Hindus acknowledge only one God, but with many different names, aspects, and forms. This is like how there is just one Sun that lights the world, but it can be seen to appear differently depending on where one is on the world, at sunrise, sunset, or midday. We don’t say that there is a different Sun at sunset, even though it may look different than the mid day Sun, with its bright red and orange shades. In the same way, Brahma is the same as Vishnu, and Vishnu is the same as Shiva. } Also even the seven different deities are pretty much the same in this fictional series as they actually are in Astrology, which may have been intentional or not on the part of the writer, but because these archetypes are so prominent in our consciousness, I would not be surprised if the Author of these stories just thought them up himself. (Read the descriptions of “The Seven” here and see for yourself)

Why is this the case? Why does the number seven keep coming up? Could it be that there is something within the human psychology and the way that we are designed that makes us see things in terms of seven? Well, the reason I am bringing all this up is because it is very peculiar in the light of the Jyotish philosophy of India. In Jyotish/Vedic Astrology philosophy, all things that exist on Earth are “produced” by the seven planets that we can see with the naked eye, and can, in a sense, see us. And so there are seven basic states of consciousness, that when mixed, produce all the varied forms and types of consciousness on Earth. Each of the visible planets relate to one of these states of consciousness, and each state is an aspect of the divine. Each planet is a “karaka”, which literally means a “producer” of various things in your life. Based on one’s past life karma, one will incarnate with these various producers in the proper harmony to produce or not produce the life that this soul needs to have for its own development and growth beyond just this one life.

So now we can see that this number seven coming up so much is really a reflection of the seven planets and how they mix and create life on Earth as it appears to be. It validates Astrology, that we have seven of most things, either uncontrollably, or by our own arbitrary intellectual divisions.

To see how this works, let us take the human body as an example:

The Sun produces the bones and the immune system, which are one system in the context of astrological truth, but not current medical books. This is because the immune system relies on the mineral supply stored within the bones to regulate the health of the body. So in a birth chart, a weak Sun in the rasi chart and the D30 (trimsamsa) chart can indicate that one does not have a lot of strength in the bones and may have low mineral density, or low mineral absorption, and should eat a mineral rich diet to balance this. A strong Sun person can eat a lot poorer quality food before there bones start to suffer, because they will tend to have better mineral reserves overall. Strong Sun/Leo people tend to eat a lot of meat and even though meat always leaves a toxic residue on the body, these people can handle that more efficiently than others, and they also have a stronger Agni to burn off these toxins as well.

The Moon produces the blood of the body, the ocean within the body. A weak or afflicted Moon means that one will need to be more mindful of foods that dirty the blood, because this will happen more easily for them if they eat poor foods. They may also have emotional issues as well as a result of having not the best blood quality. They may need to avoid table salt in favor of good quality sea salt, and add an extra amount of the healthy salty tastes like lettuce. A strong moon person will crave healthier foods for their blood naturally, and will have better blood flow and health overall as a result of having a strong “producer” of blood, a strong moon influence.

Mars produces the nervous system, and the nerve tissue within the body. A weak or afflicted Mars indicates that one has nerve problems. They may get nervous too easily, not what you want in a profession like surgery or war. A strong Mars person can hold the knife steady, and that is why a surgeon usually has a strong Mars “producer” in his chart, producing the healthy nerves needed to do such a job. This is also why someone who isn’t willing to stand up and fight is said to “not have the nerve”.

Mercury produces the cognitive/sense/integumentary system which is to say bluntly that Mercury produces our senses and cognitive ability. A bad mercury means one does not perceive and cognize things accurately. Now we can understand why Mercury is always involved in combinations for mental insanity in the old Indian Texts. A good mercury will be the opposite, and will contribute to rational thinking.

Jupiter produces the endocrine system, an incredibly important system for how one feels and for unfolding the spiritual capacities within us. An afflicted Jupiter means that one does not produce an ideal endocrine system health, and as a result may have hormonal imbalances or other chemical imbalances that interfere with their happiness and emotional health. A strong Jupiter indicates that one has produced a healthy endocrine system and feels good in their own body. It is also noteworthy to mention that in deep meditative states, the endocrine system secretes powerful hormones and antioxidants, that make you very happy, and Jupiter is also the karaka or “producer” of one’s happiness and contentment.

Venus produces the digestive system, and so a weak Venus means one does not absorb nutrients and digest well. This means the body loses its vitality more quickly because it requires more of its own vital energy (Virya, which Venus rules) to digest the food and assimilate it than it should. A strong Venus does the opposite, it helps one absorb and digest well, and leads to a healthy and well built body. This is also why Venus rules rejuvenation, as the health of the digestive system has a big say on whether one will rejuvenate easily or not.

Saturn produces the muscular system of the body. The part of the body that does all the labor, basically. Saturn also produces one’s laborers, servants, and lower level employees, which play the same role but in the context of a business. A weak Saturn shows weak muscles, and so one tends to feel lazier. A strong Saturn shows strong muscles and good lymph and so one will tend to not feel so lazy. A strong Saturn is also associated with accomplishing many deeds in life, and here we can see how that relates on a physical level, to the dignity and strength of the “producer” of the muscles, Saturn. Someone who feels lazy all the time is of course not going to accomplish as much as the opposite type of person.

In this way, the seven grahas mix and produce all things for us, and in accord with our karmas that we are meant to experience in this life. This same idea is the logic behind how we see the good or bad karmas connected to each area of life for a person, and is a fundamental concept for practicing Astrology, both western and eastern. Now we can reflect and see, that it is no surprise that in this world of seven colors, seven seas, and seven continents, that we also have seven visible lights in the sky, guiding us along the path of our Soul in this incarnation.

At the time of this writing, it is May 4th, 2015, and the Sun is making its regular pass through the second sign of the zodiac, Taurus. With this in mind, I would like to share some general information about the zodiac with particular emphasis on the meaning and symbolism of this second sign and how it relates to human life on earth.

The time the Sun passes through the zodiacal sign of Taurus is between April 20th and May 20th, and it is this same time every year, as the course of the Sun is completely fixed and has not altered in any observable way in the past. The Sun’s apparent movement through the sky is what creates the seasons and the environments on life as we know them to be. Each sign’s duration is exactly 30 degrees, or days long, and the Sun moves through each of these regularly and consistently. In this way, the zodiac is created and begins on March 20th (same time as the moment spring begins, its the same thing) with Aries the ram, and then on April 20th moves to Taurus, followed by Gemini beginning on May 20th, and so on. In this way the course of the Sun throughout the year is permanently fixed and consistent, and this is why the Sun rules Kings, constancy, commitment, as well as being steadfast in one’s purpose (Dharma in sanskrit).

The first sign Aries is ruled by Mars, because it is the moment that the days begin to get longer, and there is more daylight on Earth than darkness. Thus it makes sense to have this sign ruled by the warrior of the zodiac, Mars, as he is the one who cuts away the darkness and brings in the light of inspiration and courage to welcome spring. Spring is not usually in full swing by this time however, but everything in nature is bursting forth from the ground and eager to receive more light. It is not until around the time of April 20th- May 20th that most of the landmass on Earth has warmed up sufficiently to have flowers blooming, and for the average human to be able to enjoy spending time in nature. This is essentially what the sign (or rasi, in sanskrit) of Taurus is all about, being able to enjoy life as well as being productive and providing something to life in return. Taurus is ruled by Venus, the planet that is about enjoying life on earth, the planet that also gives us divine love, artistic inspiration and appreciation (but not skill, that is Mercury’s job), poetry, beauty, flowers, the ability to make decisions that lead to the highest fulfillment… These are all things that relate to and are ruled by Venus in all branches of Astrology. Now we can see why this time would be ruled by Venus, because its the first time in about half a year that most people on the Earth can even enjoy spending any time in nature without having to deal with the harshness of the elements, be it snow, wind or just extreme cold. At this time the elements are more harmonious in general for most of the people on Earth, and Venus rules harmony in Astrology.

Each sign of the zodiac also relates to a part of the body as well. Aries represents the forehead and top of the head, where the higher brain and crown chakra reside. Aries is the sign of ideas, inspirations, and intuition. In occult philosophy and yogic philosophy, the higher brain centers along with the crown chakra are where our higher intuitions come from, and the more developed this region is through meditation, the more effortlessly those inspirations come through. Along with this, the Sun which rules the Soul and the higher self (Atma in Sanskrit) is exalted in this sign. No wonder the “King” of the zodiac (Sun) is exalted, or most strong, in the sign that relates to the “crown” chakra.

Taurus rules the section of the body from the eyes down to the rest of the face. This fits with Venus as this is the part of our body that we enjoy life from, and Venus again is the planet that is about enjoying life. This is the part of the body that we eat from, speak from, and kiss from. Its a part of the body that matters to us whether it is beautiful or not. No one looks at the knees and makes a judgement about beauty, because Venus does not rule the knees. The knees are ruled by Saturn, and its not important for him to be beautiful in order to fulfill his cosmic role. The sign of Taurus also represents the food we eat, and our wealth capacity, both things that help us enjoy life. We may also note that for most parts of the world, this is the first time that there is any available food that is fresh and enjoyable to eat, which was probably much more appreciated back in the days when most people’s winter reserves were running quite low by April. Again we can see the grace of Venus being felt quite naturally in our consciousness at this time.

Hopefully one can now have a better feel for what this time of Taurus is all about. It is a time to be enjoying life on earth, as well as finding ways to provide for ourselves and loved ones in a healthy and holistic way.

Each house in the astrological nativity at birth is said to signify a certain area of life. The first house, which is also the first sign in the birth chart, the rising sign, represents the body of the thing that was born at that moment. It also represents the path which that body is on in this life. So a Capricorn ascendant (AKA Capricorn first house) has a body and path in life that is connected to the qualities of the sign of Capricorn. What does Capricorn relate to in Astrology? Capricorn is the 10th sign, and from the natural 1st sign Aries, Capricorn is the place in space that is directly overhead, directly above us in the sky, the 10th place in the 12 stage journey of the zodiac. It is the highest point in the sky, and from there the 11th and 12th are descending points in between that highest point and the eastern horizon.

Knowing this, we can now have an idea as to why Capricorn represents what it represents as a sign, or as the 10th house. The house is the same idea and feel of the sign of the same number, but on a different level of viewpoint we could say. Capricorn is the sign of a crocodile in the Vedic tradition of Astrology. It is the sign of lasting accomplishments, doing something that is done so well, that it never needs to be refined or improved upon, it simply stands the test of time as some say. That is the nature of Capricorn and the crocodile. You can look at crocodiles in the fossil record from millions of years ago and they are essentially the exact same, and have not evolved or changed to any noticeable degree… This is not the case with many other animals. This is why Capricorn is the sign of doing something so right the first time that it cannot be done any better and will thus endure through time. Its ruling planet is Saturn, which according to the Upadesa Sutras, deals with “Accomplished Deeds”. Saturn is associated with long term things and things that last longer than the rest and so we can see the connection. You may recall from Greek mythology that Saturn was known as Chronos, the God of time and agriculture. Chronos is still the root of many words that relate to time, such as “chronology”, “chronic”, “anachronistic” etc….

So the 10th house in the birth chart relates to these similar themes of the 10th sign Capricorn, but in a more specific way that relates to that ascendant which we are viewing it from. Moreover, each ascendant is naturally geared towards a certain type of karma or action in the world which the 10th house from that ascendant gives us clues to. And this same logic applies to each of the other astrological houses that are the same in number as the astrological sign that they relate to, and when analyzed all help to add a more nuanced perspective of chart interpretation. (For example: 7th sign libra is about relationships, 7th house is the house of relationships and your partner in your own chart)

With this understanding, we can now see why the 10th house is so important for career, because our career is usually connected with the type of actions or work we do in the world which we hope to cause a lasting change or effect. For example having Venus in the 10th house from the rising sign at birth can make it more likely that someone will try to have a work or type of action in the world that creates harmony, beauty, entertainment, pleasure, or some type of luxury for others. These are all Venusian types of work. How good they are at these types of karmic work will depend on all the more particular factors such as the dignity of Venus, any yogas that are connected to Venus, the lajjitaadi avasthas on Venus, how the strength of those avasthas on Venus weigh out in each of the varga charts that relate to specific areas of life, what dasas (timing systems) are triggering Venus and when, the transiting place of Venus, and many, many more factors. This is where it gets more complicated, but is still very fun and worthwhile to do. But from just seeing Venus in the 10th, most jyotishis can know this person may have a career that is more about bringing pleasure to the senses, or harmony to a person, and that alone is a pretty amazing thing to be able to predict… And it will be correct most of the time. To get the finer details takes time and skill on the part of the jyotishi, but even just to understand the basic connection of Venus to work is worthwhile information for most to have.

One more note about the 10th house: Not all of us do make a big difference or change in the world, and not all of us are meant to do this as our dharma… Still others are meant to be on this Earth for a very important reason. If they were not here then the world just would not be the same. But then others are just meant to be here and enjoy life with more of an internal focus, not so much about external karmas. That is more of a 4th house factor, the opposite house/sign. The 4th house is related to enlightenment and liberation, and retiring from the world. There is a Jaimini Yoga that relates to the 10th house in certain vargas, and whether one will be “resolute, and important”. This technique is very useful and very accurate when you look at the charts of people who have made a profound impact on the world, without which Earth would just not be the same. I cover these issues in readings when requested, but if you are curious about learning the Jaimini technique yourself I would strongly recommend taking the first of 3 audio courses on Jaimini by Ernst Wilhelm. All three of the classes together total 62 hours of instruction, and it is my sentiment that just the first course could be studied and contemplated and re-studied for years, as that is what I have been doing myself… Its that good. These courses can be purchased on his website, found Here.

The symbol for the eleventh sign of the zodiac is a man holding an empty pot of water. Some sources say it is a man holding a pot full of water, or pouring out water from a pot, which all serve to convey most of the meaning of aquarius. I prefer the symbolism that is given in the foundational text for most Vedic Astrologers, the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, by Sage Parashara. It gives the aquarius rasi as being simply “a man holding a pot” and does not say that there is water inside the pot. Parashara does still relate this sign to water though by saying that it “resides in deep water”. This is an important distinction that is missed by most modern astrologers it seems, and I only came to learn about this subtlety from studying Ernst Wilhelm’s Rasi Sutras audio course, so I must give credit to him for teaching it. This course can be purchased on his website found here, which I highly recommend for those who are practicing Jyotish professionally, as it has great insights into all the twelve Rasis. But for now lets just look at the rasi of aquarius in the context of the twelve Rasis.

Aquarius is an air sign, not a water sign. It is the only fixed air sign of the zodiac. It is the eleventh sign, with only one more sign to go before the end of the cycle at Pisces. Each of the four elements represents an aspect of ourselves. Fire signs represent our intuition, and our connection to our soul, and the fiery activity we feel we must do in life to fulfill our soul’s purpose; our Dharma. Earth signs represent the mixture of all elements, and our rational, practical, and even mechanical side. Air signs represent our own unique intellectual perspective as human beings, as well as our state of desire. This is because human desires are as impermanent and changing as the afternoon breeze. How often do we realize a long sought after desire, only to find a new one arising only moments later? Desires are what keep us bound to this Earth realm and are what keep us separate from realizing our true eternal nature as Infinite Consciousness, or Spirit. Water signs represent feeling and emotional sensitivity, and inner development such as wisdom and divine love.

Aquarius is the last sign before we get to the sign of enlightenment, Pisces. So, as Ernst Wilhelm elaborates upon more deeply in his Rasi Sutras course, Aquarius is the sign of the culmination of the pyschological battle. Aquarius is the stage of becoming psychologically healthy, so that we can then move into the final stage of merging with God. Paramhansa Yogananda said that what most people think of as the spiritual battle or path, is actually just the psychological battle that each person must fight between their higher and lower sense of self. He states that once this is resolved then the spritual battle is won very quickly. And this matches with the twelve rasis of Jyotish as after Aquarius there is only Pisces left and it represents “kaivalya”, the absolute oneness of being.

This is why I find the symbolism of the empty, or mostly empty pitcher of water to be the most appropriate symbol. As explained previously, the air signs all represent desire, which is what ultimately keeps us bound to the cycle of death and rebirth, and which the whole purpose of Jyotish is to free us from with Self Knowledge. Water symbolizes spirit, and the wholeness and psychological well being that comes from our innate connection to spirit. (hence why the water signs are the most spiritual signs, the Brahmin caste/mentality.)… So if the symbolic water pitcher was completely full, it would show a completely full being on the inside and out, and the zodiac should rightly end at this stage because one’s development is complete here…. But it does not end here, it ends at the next sign. Therefore the water pot should rightly be empty. An empty, or mostly empty water vessel symbolizes the lack of the spiritual wholeness that we all desire whether consciously or not. So this eleventh sign of Aquarius really shows the stage of REALIZING THE EMPTINESS IN THE WATER PITCHER, AND THE DESIRE TO HAVE IT FILLED.

The only permanent way to have our symbolic water pitcher filled is to become Self Realized and then know and experience that it was never empty to begin with. This can be done by merging our ego with something greater than ourselves, which is the job of Venus. And as you might expect, Venus just happens to be the most auspicious planet for Aquarius lagna, and causes “Raja Yoga” by ruling both an angle and a trine. Venus ruling a dharma (trine house) and Karma(angle house) indicates that it is innate and natural for Aquarius to move towards merging their consciousness with something greater than itself (Venus). This shows that a sense of love and acceptance is what is really the best way to deal with the emptiness in our lives. Whether the Aquarius is able to use Venus in this healthy way is depending upon all the karmas shown in the astrological chart, and can be known by the skilled astrologer.

This also makes sense when we think about the ruling planet of Aquarius, Saturn. Saturn is the planet that deals with our debts, our sense of lack, our sense of isolation, and the more depressing, empty side of life in general. The empty water pot is more appropriate as a symbol for Saturn in this way too, as it shows that there is a lack, or an emptiness that needs to be filled. Thats pretty much the whole purpose of the Aquarius individual, is to find a way to fill that emptiness.

How they deal with the emptiness

This knowledge should now help you understand all the qualities and characteristics of Aquarius natives. This is why western astrology looks at them as humanitarians, and even why old vedic texts from medieval times paint them in a much more negative light. These medieval Indian texts describe them as drunkards, or as sexual deviants. Western Astrology is great and I do not mean to bash it by saying this, but in general it doesn’t have a lot of authoritative texts or rules compared to Vedic Astrology, which is drowning in rules and texts. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. The western approach typically looks at the positive spin on a sign the most and downplays the negative sides, which makes sense as this type of method is being used in a culture which doesn’t want to be told stuff that it sees as “negative” or “fatalistic”. Western’s positive spin on Aquarius is that they are humanitarians and inventive, which is true, sometimes. This will be the case if the auspicious planets for Aquarius are strong, and the inauspicious ones are weak. But if it is the other way around, then the Aquarius is likely to be frustrated in feeling love or detaching from the state of emptiness and will likely engage in some type of less healthy activity to try to temporarily fill the emptiness…. This is where the medieval vedic books would happen to be more accurate. Without a strong Venus, its more likely that alcoholism, sexual perversions, vices, or other activities that society frowns upon will come in to play for the Aquarius native in order to fill that emptiness at any cost. To be fair to both traditions, they both acknowledge the positive side of Aquarius that can manifest as a mystic, or as a spiritual renunciate as well. To think that this same sign can create such seemingly extreme polarities of behavior can be hard to grasp…but they are all just extreme attempts to fill the emptiness that is being felt in one’s awareness. Knowing this we should not judge Aquarius natives for their actions but rather try to see them in the light of understanding that Jyotish provides.